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Director of project management vs consultant/project manager

The differences between directors of project management and consultant/project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a director of project management has an average salary of $126,958, which is higher than the $100,754 average annual salary of a consultant/project manager.

The top three skills for a director of project management include oversight, risk management and resource management. The most important skills for a consultant/project manager are project management, project scope, and business development.

Director of project management vs consultant/project manager overview

Director Of Project ManagementConsultant/Project Manager
Yearly salary$126,958$100,754
Hourly rate$61.04$48.44
Growth rate16%11%
Number of jobs200,498213,963
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age4747
Years of experience--

What does a director of project management do?

Project management directors are the ones who develop and direct the strategic planning of different projects. The directors oversee the coordination of resources and personnel necessary for project completion. Typically, the directors require certification for project management. They develop a methodology for standardized project management in a balanced matrix organization. The directors should be equipped with skills in process improvement, customer service, infrastructure, portfolio management, and strategic initiatives. They should also have skills in communication, attention to detail, and leadership.

What does a consultant/project manager do?

Consultants/project managers act as planners, leaders, and advisors in business enterprises. These professionals facilitate meetings and establish positive relationships with vendors, management, and clients. They make customer visits, maintain industry knowledge, procure third-party software and hardware, and deliver projects. It is also part of their duty to manage complex initiatives in an individual business unit or organization. Their skills include analytical, time and cost management, problem-solving, interpersonal skills, and proficiency in project management software.

Director of project management vs consultant/project manager salary

Directors of project management and consultant/project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Director Of Project ManagementConsultant/Project Manager
Average salary$126,958$100,754
Salary rangeBetween $85,000 And $187,000Between $74,000 And $136,000
Highest paying CityFoster City, CAHartford, CT
Highest paying stateCaliforniaConnecticut
Best paying companyMetaMicrosoft
Best paying industryReal EstateTechnology

Differences between director of project management and consultant/project manager education

There are a few differences between a director of project management and a consultant/project manager in terms of educational background:

Director Of Project ManagementConsultant/Project Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Director of project management vs consultant/project manager demographics

Here are the differences between directors of project management' and consultant/project managers' demographics:

Director Of Project ManagementConsultant/Project Manager
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 66.9% Female, 33.1%Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between director of project management and consultant/project manager duties and responsibilities

Director of project management example responsibilities.

  • Develop and manage RFP processes to procure third party products and services.
  • Manage & facilitate agile scrum masters, project managers and business analysts including providing direction, guidance and training.
  • Develop and lead divisional IP application strategy and review process to improve patent return on investment and alignment with product strategies.
  • Direct logistics and manufacturing process at Baltimore depot and revamp of product line to achieve desire mission-readiness capability.
  • Streamline and centralize usage of project management tools to manage dependencies and transparent delivery milestones for highly complex SaaS platforms
  • Lead scrum team through multiple development sprints for overall product improvement base on customer feedback and market research.
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Consultant/project manager example responsibilities.

  • Lead and manage team of business analysts responsible for defining detail functional specifications for large-scale CRM implementation.
  • Project manage software development initiatives according to company SDLC.
  • Manage quality/regulatory control and clinical personnel, to deliver on time data-migration project using SDLC.
  • Develop training programs for ERP implementations, and manage development of custom performance support and knowledge management software solutions.
  • Implement a repeatable process methodology base on the PMI PMBOK defining a systematic approach to delivering solutions and achieving customer objectives.
  • Draft system documentation and create business process flows using Visio.
  • Show more

Director of project management vs consultant/project manager skills

Common director of project management skills
  • Oversight, 9%
  • Risk Management, 6%
  • Resource Management, 5%
  • Business Objectives, 5%
  • Healthcare, 5%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 5%
Common consultant/project manager skills
  • Project Management, 19%
  • Project Scope, 11%
  • Business Development, 10%
  • Executive Management, 6%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 6%
  • Manage Project Scope, 6%

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